The Barren World
by The Baron
Summary: When a mining colony is evacuated, things go terribly wrong......


A Barren World  
Chapter 1  
Not exactly prime real estate thought Jackson, looking out over the landscape from his position on top of a store building. Why anyone would want to live here is-  
"I see you're enjoying the view, too," spoke a voice from behind the young private. Jackson spun around to his knee to face the unknown intruder, his 8mm C-14 "Impaler" Gauss Rifle at the ready.  
"Hey there, I didn't surprise you that much," said the unknown figure, its hands in the air. It took Jackson awhile to see the brass nameplate on the soldier's CMC-400 Powered Combat Suit, which read ANDERSON, one of his best friends from the academy.  
"Come on now, Sally. You know how jumpy I get on guard post," replied Jackson, letting his weapon's muzzle fall to the ground.  
"I swear, John Andrew Jackson, you are the most paranoid person on this damn mission. We're in the middle on nowhere, evacuating a mining town cause they ain't got no more minerals to dig up, and you think the whole fricking Zerg Swarm is gonna roll right in over the hills."  
"I tell you, Sally, I've got a bad feeling. If this is a mining town simply packing up cause they stripped the planet clean, why do they need a military escort? Something funny is going on," Jackson exclaimed, turning his attention back over the desert landscape.  
"Hell, Jackson, we didn't join the Marines to question orders. If you wanted to do that you shouldn't have signed up to be a grunt. Now come one, your replacement should be here in a minuet and they're serving real food for lunch, not that freeze-dried crap they-hey, what's that?" Sally was pointing out over the horizon to a wall of dust. "Sand storm?"  
Jackson pulled the visor of Combat Suit down over his face, activating the ZOOM option. What he saw made his heart skip a beat.  
"Like hell it's a sand storm," responded Jackson, activating the comlink in his suit. "Lieutenant O'Nell, we've got Zerg, repeat, we've got a large contingent of Zerg coming from the north. Do you hear me, over?"  
"Thanks for the reminder, Jackson. Where the hell have you been? There's Zerg everywhere, dammit. Get your ass back to the Dropships now before-"  
"What's happening?" Sally asked nervously, looking around for any other signs of human life."It's an all-out attack. We've got to get back to the Dropships, NOW!" Jackson went in an all out dash for the town square, closely followed by Sally. I pray we make it in time thought Jackson.  
As Jackson and Sally ran down a street, a Zergling ambushed them. Nasty little SOB, it popped out of a department store window, hacking and slashing with its razor-limb sickles. It jumped on Anderson and got a nice deep cut in her armor before Jackson blew it off and ran to his fallen comrade.  
"You ok, Sally?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Didn't hit any skin. Come on, let's get moving before his friends show up."  
They finally reached the Town Square, and were horrified by the sight. It was if all Hell broke lose and was in a party mood. The hastily built Command Center was literally crawling with Zerg, like ants on a picnic basket. Colonists were running around screaming as they were chased down and murdered by packs of Zerg. Marines desperately tried to hold off the onslaught, orders lost in the confusion of battle. A nearby Firebat, a trooper with flame throwers on each arm, was holding off a group of Zerglings when a Hydralisk, a snake-like Zerg that shoots armor piercing spines, shot the brave Marine in the back, hitting the fuel tanks and setting him on fire. It was just pure chaos all around Jackson and Sally, a nightmare that you couldn't pinch yourself to wake up from. It was there that Jackson saw the last Dropship, undamaged, just about ready to take off.  
"Let's move it, Anderson," yelled Jackson over a loud explosion, grabbing her by the arm and running towards the transport. It was then that the wall next to them crumbled down and out stomped an Ultralisk, a gigantic monstrosity with large, bone-like scythes that protrude from its back. Letting out a roar that shook the ground, it took a swipe at Anderson and cleaved her in half, sending her torso and up flying through the air into a pack of Zerglings, who feasted on the partially-alive trooper.  
"No!" Jackson was filled with rage as he lifted his rifle up and let loose on the beast. The bullets made a ping sound when it hit the monster's armor, causing no harm. Jackson cocked back the attached grenade launcher on his rifle and fired it off. The grenade flew through the air and hit the brute square in its face. It took a step back, shaking off the shock and smoke of the explosion, then charged down the scared Jackson. The last thing the private saw was a mighty blade, as if Death's scythe was coming to reap him into the underworld. Seconds later he was nothing but a pile of bones and blood, just another casualty in a world of death and despair.  
  
  
The End  



End file.
